✓ | battle wounds, scott m.

chapter fourty eight.

Ella was at the sheriff's station with everyone else. When they left after being interviewed, Ella stayed with Parrish. He looked frustrated with everything, causing a wave of concern to wash over Ella. Ella placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Hey, whats wrong?" "What the hell is up with this town?" Parrish asked Ella. Ella licked her lips, gulping, "This town is pretty fucked up, trust me. There's no explanation for half of the things that happen in this town. One of my best friends was just murdered, and I should be with Scott right now but I don't want to see anyone's sad face because if I do, then I'll break and I don't need that. I've all ready had an emotional breakdown once this week." Parrish chuckled lightly at Ella's last sentence, "You're one of the strongest girls I've ever met, El."

Ella wanted to say something about him calling her 'El' but she didn't have the energy to, instead she just shook her head. "I'm not strong, Jordan," Ella looked up at Parrish's eyes, "In fact, I'm probably the weakest person in the world. I have lots of problems, and most of them are with my mental state." Parrish looked at Ella with sympathy, having know that she had went through a lot in the last year or two. "Please don't look at me like that," Ella chuckled, wiping away a tear, "I hate sympathy." Parrish nodded, placing a hand on Ella's knee in comfort, "Whatever you need, Ella, I'm right here." Ella nodded and sobbed lightly, smiling through the tears before whispering, "Thank you."

Parrish nodded and left his hand there as he looked through his papers with his other hand. Ella picked up his hand and rolled the chair she was sitting on closer to him and began to play with his fingers. Her father then walked out of his office and walked up to Parrish's desk, "Hey. We need to try and keep this quiet for as long as we can. Once the press finds out about this, they're gonna be all over those kids."

"You want a squad car outside your house?" Parrish asked, Ella looking up at her dad. "Yeah, might be a good idea tonight," Noah said. Ella glanced towards the other room to see two Oni's, one cutting a deputy on the back. Parrish bolted up and began shooting that way. "Go! Ella! Leave!" Parrish shouted to the younger girl who nodded then ran out of the sheriff's station.

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Ella made her way home, running up her stairs and breaking down crying once she got onto her bed. Ella let out loud sobs, not bothering to cover her mouth. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she kept scratching the scars on her arm, scratching a couple so bad that the old cuts opened making Ella hiss in pain. She shook her head and continued to cry as she opened the door to her bathroom and turned on the shower then walked out of the bathroom to bring in her phone and speaker. Ella went onto her music app and pressed shuffle on one of her playlists before beginning to strip and get into the shower. She let the hot water go down her back, sighing softly as the steam went into the air. Ella opened her eyes and rolled her neck, the water cascading down her body and relaxing her muscles. Ella smiled as the song 'What The Hell' by Avril Lavigne came onto the speaker.

Ella nodded her head to the beat as she began to sing to it, "You say that I'm messing with your head. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. All cause I was making out with your friend. . Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Love hurts whether it's right or wrong, Yeah yeah yeah yeah. I can't stop cause I'm having too much fun, Yeah yeah yeah yeah. You're on your knees, Begging please, Stay with me, But honestly, I just need to be a little crazy." Ella smiled wide, "All my life I've been good, But now whoa, I'm thinking what the hell? All I want is to mess around, And I don't really care about, If you love me, If you hate me, You can't save me. Baby, baby, All my life I've been good. But now, Whoa. What the hell! So what if I go out on a million dates? Yeah yeah yeah yeah. You never call or listen to me anyway. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. I'd rather rage than sit around and wait all day. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Don't get me wrong, I just need some time to play. You're on your knees, Begging please, Stay with me. But honestly, I just need to be a little crazy! All my life I've been good, But now I'm thinking what the hell! All I want is to mess around! And I don't really care about, If you love me. . If you hate me, You can't save me! Baby, baby! All my life I've been good, But now. Whoa. What the hell! La la la la la la la la. Whoa whoa. La la la la la la la la. Whoa whoa. You say that I'm messing with your head, Boy, I like messing in your bed.Yeah, I am messing with your head when I'm messing with you in bed."